Riding round town with all the windows down
Eight track playing all your favorite sounds
The rhythm of the bongos fill the park
The street musicians trying to get a start

'Cause it's summer, summer time is here
Yes, it's summer, my time of year
Yes, it's summer, my time of year
(War – Summer)

Here we are just a week past the 4th of July. Mid-way thru the baseball season, and the mid-summer classic is upon us. Pretty soon we will be starting basketball and hockey season – REALLY! By the way, I am a very PROUD Warriors' fan and have been my entire life. How fast time flies when we are having fun…indeed!

Red, White & Blue. Independence Day was a great day, once again, for Foster City. Our day began with the pancake breakfast, then there was the family parade and dog show, then we moved on to music and food, leading up to the grand finale - the FIREWORKS. What a spectacular event! Thank you to all who donated your time and effort to show off our fabulous city.

A special note on the fireworks, our Foster City show is one of the few shows that still utilizes a pyrotechnician crew that lights the fireworks by hand based on the site constraints and the size of the show.

New Talent. I would like to personally extend a warm welcome to our new Assistant City Manager, Dante Hall. Already two weeks on the job and he seems to be settling in wonderfully. However, I must work with him on what sports teams he needs to root for. He hails from Southern California…need I say more? Give me time to convert him to the Giants, A's, 49ers, Raiders, Sharks and Warriors. When you see him around town or at city hall, keep quizzing Dante on his favorite team and see if he answers the question correctly!

Safety First. A few weeks ago, I received an email about a program that is currently underway in a small town in Texas. They encourage residents who shop for or sell items on Craigslist or eBay to meet the person at the police station, so if there are any problems, the police are right there. As such, I spoke with Matt Martell, our Police Chief about this program. He informed me that from time to time, people would meet in the parking lot of the police/library area to exchange items and money. Sounds wise to me. If you choose to use a neutral place for safety – do so with confidence that our police officers are nearby.

Music to My Ears. On July 10th, the Friday evening concerts begin. What a great place to gather, listen to good music and dance. So bring your boat, ride your bike, walk or carpool and enjoy another great benefit of living in Foster City!

A Reason for the Season. I'm talking about WATER CONSERVATION. We are into the first few weeks of mandatory water conservation. Are you doing your part to save water? If you're not sure about how to save and/or what measures are available to guide you, please visit www.fostercity.org and look for "water conservation." As I meander around the city, there are some very sad looking yards with brown patches where once green grass was growing – but I commend those who have made the switch to save water and let the grass go, and further kudos to those who have planted drought resistance landscaping. Keep up the good work!

Twenty-Four. Number of hours in a day. A TV show. Shot clock in the NBA. But most important to me as your council member, the final number of Parks in Foster City and the completion of the MASTER PARK PROGRAM! The ribbon-cutting event a few weeks back was quite the event. I love showing off these new parks to the public and hearing wonderful comments about how fantastic they look. I think it's just what we needed and makes me, and I am sure the city parks' staff, feels good. How many of you have been to all 24? Send me a note or photo of you at some of the parks you've visited lately.

Going Solar. The Peninsula SunShares program is still accepting registrations through July 31st. SunShares is a program that combines the buying power of the community to offer competitive prices for residential solar through vendors that have gone through a screening process. If you have ever wondered if solar might be right for your home but didn't know where to start, this program may be right for you. The time to join is running out, so register now to get a free, no obligation evaluation of your home's solar potential. For more information or to register, visit www.mygroupenergy.com/peninsula.

Enjoy your summer and stay tuned for my next article as I start to share my thoughts on the upcoming elections facing us in Foster City…